The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has activated its offices across the country to respond to recent floods affecting several states. This action was announced by the agency’s Director General, Zubaida Umar, on Monday.

Umar stated that search and rescue teams have been deployed to assist the State Emergency Management Agencies (SEMAs) in the affected areas.

“In response to the flooding, NEMA’s Director General, Mrs. Zubaida Umar, has activated all Zonal, Territorial, and Operation offices nationwide. These offices will work with SEMAs to carry out rescue operations and assess the situation,” the statement read.

NEMA has offices in Lagos, Ibadan, Ekiti, Abuja, Minna, Jos, Enugu, Owerri, Port Harcourt, Edo, Uyo, Kano, Sokoto, Kaduna, Maiduguri, Yola, and Gombe.

“Search and Rescue officers have been deployed across the states, supporting SEMAs and other stakeholders in coordinating rescue operations in flooded areas. The agency is also conducting rapid assessments to determine if further assistance is needed,” Umar added.

In addition to rescue efforts, NEMA is actively raising awareness to alert the public about the predicted floods and necessary precautions to prevent disaster.

The agency has also sent letters to all state governments, listing the local governments at risk of flooding and outlining preventive actions. Some states that followed NEMA’s advice have reported that their early actions, combined with NEMA’s responses, made a significant difference.

NEMA operates a toll-free emergency contact line (0800CALLNEMA) and is available on social media for feedback from the public.

On July 3, Director General Umar visited Anambra State to discuss flood prevention and mitigation with the state government, religious, and community leaders. Anambra often faces severe flooding annually, and Umar has been visiting various states and stakeholders to continue her flood advocacy efforts.